Saturday, January 24, 2009

Welcome Mat Out for Gitmo Terrorists in Europe

European governments have been crying for the US to close the Guantanamo Bay prison for years and soon they will get their wish, due to President Obama's recent decision.

And it's good to see several European countries show a willingness to accept some of the terrorists. Here is a list of the countries favorably disposed to providing a new home for the terrorists:

GermanyFrancePortugalSwitzerlandFinland

Statements by many other EU countries display a certain lack of alacrity at the prospect of taking in any prisoners at all because, after all, they are terrorists and they want to kill people.

Over 60 Gitmo detainees who were previously released went back to terrorism, so those who have been portraying them as innocents in the wrong place at the wrong time are contradicted by their recent behavior after being given their freedom.

EU leaders will meet Monday to decide their response to the Guantanamo question. France has suggested the EU take in 60 prisoners, which seems a paltry figure considering there are about 245 inmates left. Why so few? Why not more? You wanted Gitmo closed, so now is the time to help out.

For those countries willing to take some prisoners, I have a proposal for integrating them into European society. Create "Terrortowns" on the model of "Chinatowns." Provide housing for the prisoners in one small geographic area within large cities. Force them to live there and stay there. Assist the terrorists with starting up businesses designed to attract tourists. This would include bookstores selling jihadist literature and manuals on making explosives.

A blind eye would be turned on black market sales in the backrooms of such things as IEDs, rocket-propelled grenades, etc. Tourists would pay to hear terrorists tell stories of their capture and how they were innocent of all charges all along, that all they ever wanted to do was to be good citizens, that they were wrongfully jailed, that every human being is their brother, and that they deserve reparations.

I thank those European countries willing to help out the US with the problem of what to do with the jihadists. We don't want them, so if someone has to take them, it may as well be you.